Universal mounting bracket for laminated seating booths

ABSTRACT

Apparatus is described for mounting molded, laminated booths, wherein the apparatus comprises three basic, symmetrical components which can be used in any booth configuration of the type described and are usable in either right-hand or left-hand mounting applications. The components consists of a main support bracket for leveling the booth, an elevation bracket for positioning the booth seat relative to the main bracket, and a seat bracket for securing the seat to the other brackets.

ited States Patent 1 1 Koehring 1 Jan. 7, 1975 UNIVERSAL MOUNTING BRACKET FOR 3,120,977 2/1964 Albinson 248/300 x LAMINATED SEATING BOOTHS 3,406,936 10/1968 Dirks 248/300 X C 3,574,394 3/1971 Von Pongracz 108/152 Inventor: g p g, Burnsvllle, 3,669,480 6/1972 Fugate 242/300 x inn.

[73] Assignee: Waymar Industries, Inc., Burnsville, Primary EXami'leI-William schultl Minn. 1

[22] Filed: July 2, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT 21 Appl. No.: 375,330

[52] U.S. Cl. 297/158, 248/300 [51] Int. Cl A47b 39/00 [58] Field of Search 248/287, 300; 52/36;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/l955 Monson 248/300 X 4/1957 Kinney 248/300 Apparatus is described for mounting molded, laminated booths, wherein the apparatus comprises three basic, symmetrical components which can be used in any booth configuration of the type described and-are usable in either right-hand 'or left-hand mounting applications. The components consists of a main support bracket for leveling the booth, an elevation bracket for positioning the booth seat relative to the main bracket, and a seat bracket for securing the seat to the other brackets.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures UNIVERSAL MOUNTING BRACKET FOR LAMINATED'SEATING BOOTI-IS The present invention relates to a mounting bracket for attaching booth seats, of the type commonly used in restaurants and other public facilities, securely against a wall. The invention is used in conjunction with a molded, laminated booth seat and backrest, or with a pair of such laminated booths facing back to back. Such booths are typically located with one of their edges against a wall and the other edge supported on a pedestal-like base. Between pairs of such booth seats is generally positioned a table top, either by means of a floor mounting or a wall mounting.

The principle object of this invention is to provide a wall mounting bracket for molded, laminated booths, which enables fast installation with a minimum of bracket parts.

A second object of this invention is to provide a wall mounting bracket which is-usable for either a left hand or a right hand installation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wall mounting bracket which can be used to attach a booth against uneven walls, and which bracket is ,not visible above the booth after installation.

Yet another object .of this invention is to provide a wall mounting bracket which spaces the booth edge away from the wall to facilitate cleaning. Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the follow.-

ing description, taken in conjunction with'the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is aperspective view of a booth structure embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sideelevation view of the invention and. a pair of booths;

FIG. 3 is an expandedperspective view of the inven- Bracket 6 has two elongated holes or slots for use as will hereinafter be described. Bracket 6 also has a notch or center mark 8, which provides an indication of the center line of bracket 6 for use in the proper positioning of booths along a wall. As will also be hereinafter described, all of the brackets 6, 24, and 26 may be used interchangeably in a right-hand or left-hand mounting.

FIG. 3 is an expanded perspective view of the invention, as seen from the wall side of an installation. Main support bracket 6 is shown with its legs protruding beneath the position where seats 13 and 14 would be located. Each of the legs of support bracket 6 has a first hole pair 32 and a second hole pair 34; bolts 25 can secure elevation brackets 24 and seat brackets 26 through either hole pair 32or hole pair 34. In the position illustrated in FIG. 3, brackets 24 and 26 would be securedthrough hole pair 32; if support bracket 6 were inverted hole pair 34 would be used. It is apparent that elevation bracket 24 may be used on either the left or the right side'of support bracket 6; it is also apparent that seat bracket 26 may be used on the left or right.side.-Therefore, only three separate parts need be-usedforany installation of booth seats 13 and 14: one support bracket 6 and a pair each of elevationbrackets 24 and-seat brackets 26., Thisgreatly'siminvention which is used in conjunction .with a; single booth.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a restaurant booth arrangement 10 is shown in perspective view. A'table topll is mounted on a cantilever support between contoured seat 12 and 13. Seat 14 forms a section of an adjacent booth in the same mannenSeats l3 and 14 are located on a common pedestal 15, while seat l 2is mounted" alone on pedestal 16. All of these seats are mounted securely against the wall 20 by means of brackets of the type which are the subject of this invention. For example, the inventive bracket attaches-to the underside of seats 13 and 14 and bolts them securely to wall 20. An adaptation 36 of the invention is bolted to the underside of seat 12 and secures it to wall 20.

FIG. 2 illustrates the structural features of the invention in an end elevational view of the booth portion comprising seats 13 and 14. A main supportbracket 6 is mounted'against the wall by means of appropriate fastening screws throughholes 22. Support bracket 6 is U-shaped, with its legsoutwardly protruding beneath at least. a portion of the respective seats 13 and 14. Bolts 25 each secure an elevation bracket 24 and a seat bracket 26 to supportbracket 6. Seat bracket26 is attached to the underside of a seat by means of a screw or bolt set 28, while elevation bracket 24 serves to bear support bracket 6 is not plifres the task; of inventoryingand packing hardware atv thev factory, as well as the task of assembling the boothstructures inra. restaurant or otherfacility.

Elevation bracket 24has a notch 18 in both its upper and lower edges. These notches are just-deep enough to provide clearance for the angled top edge of seat bracket 26, which extends above the topedge of support bracket 6 to raise the seat height to a level where exposed above the seat surface.

A typicalinstallation would proceed as follows.v First, the. boothpositions are measured and marked along the wall, and'center markon support bracket6 is aligned with this mark. Next, support bracket 6 is loosely attached to' the wall at the desired height by means of screws through the center of slots .30. A standard carpenters level is used tolevel bracket 6,'which can be adjusted slightly. because of the clearance provided by slots 30, andbracket 6 is then securely fastened to the wall. The elevation and seat brackets are then securely attached to support bracket 6, and the booth seats are mounted atop the seat-bracket assembly. Thisinstallationv procedure can: be accomplished in a few minutes scribed. herein. Seat 12, shown in F lG. l, is a singleseat mounted on its pedestal 16,. and bracket 36 of FIG. 4 is the type. which can be used to anchor seat 12 to the wall. It uses a" seat bracket 26 and an elevationbracket 24 identical to those. previously described. Bracket 36 is essentially a half-section of bracket 6, except that bracket 36 has twoslots along a surface distance where bracket 6. had only one slot 30. The slots in bracket 36 are also used for leveling the bracket, as previously described. lf bracket 36 were used to mount a single seat in a right-hand position it would be rotated degrees from the position shown in FIG. 4, bracket 24 would be mounted through the other hole pair, and bracket 26 would be turned 180 degrees.

Because of the symmetry of the brackets described herein, they are adaptable for use in any booth mounting arrangement and therefore greatly reduce the number of different parts needed in the installation procedure. Other variations could be made to the invention; for example, each half of bracket 6 could be made with a pair of slots 30 as shown in bracket 36. This would eliminate the necessity of a separate part for bracket 36 because bracket 6 could be broken in half whenever a single booth mounting bracket was needed. In this case, a total of only three different mounting brackets is needed for any booth installation.

It should be noted that all of the brackets described herein have sufficient wall offset lengths to allow the seat brackets 26 to secure the booth seat portion a distance from the wall of approximately /2 to 1 inch. This provides sufficient clearance to compensate for uneven walls and to allow for adequate cleaning of the booth edge nearest the wall.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for securing a booth to a wall, compris-v mg: g

a U-shaped main support bracket having its base adapted for securing to the wall and having two spaced vertical slots adjacent said wall for adjusting the level of said bracket, and having legs extending under the seat portion of the booth;

a pair of L-shaped brackets, each attached to an extended leg of the U-shaped bracket and offset upwardly along said bracket leg, and each having mounting holes in a surface adjacent said wall and an upper and lower notch near its outward extremity for providing clearance;

a pair of inclined T-brackets, each attached to an extended leg of theU-shaped bracket and bearing on an L-bracket notch, and having an angle of incline to correspond to the shape of the booth seat undersurface, said inclined bracket surface rigidly attached to said seat undersurface;

whereby the upward offset distance of said L-shaped brackets correspond to the distance required to raise the booth seat portion upper surface to a level higher than the upper edge of said U-shaped main support bracket.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said U- shaped main support bracket further comprises symmetrically spaced mounting holes along each of its extended legs for providing an equal offset upwardly and downwardly for said L-shaped brackets.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said U- shaped main support bracketbase has a locating mark at its center point. 

1. Apparatus for securing a booth to a wall, comprising: a U-shaped main support bracket having its base adapted for securing to the wall and having two spaced vertical slots adjacent said wall for adjusting the level of said bracket, and having legs extending under the seat portion of the booth; a pair of L-shaped brackets, each attached to an extended leg of the U-shaped bracket and offset upwardly along said bracket leg, and each having mounting holes in a surface adjacent said wall and an upper and lower notch near its outward extremity for providing clearance; a pair of inclined T-brackets, each attached to an extended leg of the U-shaped bracket and bearing on an L-bracket notch, and having an angle of incline to correspond to the shape of the booth seat undersurface, said inclined bracket surface rigidly attached to said seat undersurface; whereby the upward offset distance of said L-shaped brackets correspond to the distance required to raise the booth seat portion upper surface to a level higher than the upper edge of said U-shaped main support bracket.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped main support bracket further comprises symmetrically spaced mounting holes along each of its extended legs for providing an equal offset upwardly and downwardly for said L-shaped brackets.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said U-shaped main support bracket base has a locating mark at its center point. 